Brumbies challenge Sio to add a physical 'edge'

Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher has challenged prop Scott Sio to bring an extra "edge" to his game to counter the expected physical onslaught from the Waratahs in their Super Rugby semi-final.

Four weeks ago the Brumbies were outmuscled 39-8 in their loss to the Waratahs in Sydney by a near enough all-Test forward pack.

After that humbling the Brumbies are looking to make ammends for the loss and Fisher believes that 120-kilogram Sio can take his game to a new level.

"Scotty has developed into a Test player, but by no means is he the finished product," Fisher told The Canberra Times.

"He needs to bring a real edge to his game on Saturday night and that's his challenge ... It's going to be a physical battle, he's 120 kilos and he's got to be front and centre of the physical exchanges, be where the collisions are.

"We did not match their physicality or work-rate last time ... their exponentially fitter than they were two years ago. You have to match everything they bring to the game."

Sio and teammate Allan Alaalatoa both have Samoan World Cup test playing fathers and Sio's father played in the 1991 in the team that beat Scotland and almost beat Australia before going down 9-3 in a quarter-final.

Sio was born a week before Samoa beat Scotland so his parents named him Scott and Alaalatoa's dad Vili was in the same team and they grew up around the corner from each other in Sydney.

Prop Sio was in the Waratahs Academy before he joined the Brumbies as an extended player squad member in 2012 and made his Wallabies debut last year. Alaalatoa is on a similar deal now and is expected to be upgraded to the full squad next year.

"I was born (in Sydney), it's natural to go for them, I went for every NSW team. Not just in rugby union," Sio said.

Now twenty three years after their fathers made their names the pair are trying to make names for themselves.

"My dad has always told me that if you're good enough, you're old enough. Half the battle is mental and I've had to build that," Sio said.

"At the end of the day dad goes whoever we're playing for, he's proud of us."

Alaalatoa made his Super Rugby debut last weekend against the Chiefs as a replacement and has Sio's backing already.

"Allan's up to it, we saw that last weekend," Sio said.

"It's a tough time to come in, but finals time is what you train for and to have this opportunity is great."